Oppenheimer, in an interview about his book, The Flickering Mind: The False Promise of Technology in the Classroom and how learning can be saved, brings up several thoughtful points about technology in the classroom. He is by no means, anti-technology, but he does identify some of the drawbacks especially when it comes to funding new technologies and continuing to maintain current ones.
A few of my favorite quotes (you'll see how they relate to a librarian's point of view):
"What should matter is how students think about information, not the quantity of information sources. And one good book or article that stimulates a good discussion will teach a lot more about quality of thought than 20 Internet sites that no one, especially the teacher, has time to analyze."
"The scattered, superficial approach to research and analysis that I described previously is increasingly becoming the norm."
Just yesterday I heard several professors complaining that their students will not read an entire article, in fact they will not even scroll down a webpage to read beyond the first few paragraphs. Is this really progress? Is it moving education and our society forward?
Lest you think the author is completely anti-Internet, read the following quote: "And obviously, the Internet offers valuable resources for research projects. The key is to use computers as a supplement in each of those areas, not as a replacement for traditional studies."
A supplement... I like that. I have to remember that the technology is a means and not an end. Interview with Oppenheimer
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